Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9542680-B2
Application number	US-47681909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2009
Priority date	Jun 4, 2008
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: processing sections that have respective identification information and that perform processing corresponding to a request from another information processing apparatus; and a reporting section that stores the respective identification information of the processing sections and, instead of the processing sections, that reports the identification information to the another information processing apparatus in response to a request for reporting the identification information, the request being issued from the another information processing apparatus.

First claim

The application is claimed as follows:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal, that have respective identification information, and that perform processing corresponding to a request from another information processing apparatus;
a reporting section that includes a first memory that stores the respective identification information of the processing sections and, instead of the processing sections, that reports the identification information to the another information processing apparatus in response to a request for reporting the identification information, the request being issued from the another information processing apparatus; and
a controlling section that includes a second memory and is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, the second memory being different from the first memory;
wherein the reporting section is connected to each of the controlling section and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus and the another information processing apparatus perform contactless communication with each other, and
the reporting section prevents the processing sections from responding to the request for reporting the identification information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the reporting section mediates communication between the another information processing apparatus and the processing sections.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reporting section selectively connects to one of the processing sections through one of the individual wired communication lines.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections when power is turned on and stores the identification information in the second memory, and the processing sections are attached or detached and that causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling section obtains the identification information by individually specifying one of the individual wired communication lines for the processing sections and causes the reporting section to store the obtained identification information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the contactless communication is based on a near field communication standard.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reporting section and the processing sections store, as the identification information, numbers for identifying the processing sections and numbers of applications held by the processing sections.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling section is individually connected to the processing sections in order to check connections with the processing sections.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling section is connected to the processing sections in a looped manner in order to check connections with the processing sections; and
each processing section attaches the identification information of the processing section to a command sent from a previous stage and outputs a resulting command.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling section outputs the command to the processing sections through the looped connection, causes the processing sections to attach the identification information of the processing sections to the command and to output the resulting command, obtains the output command, and causes the reporting section to store the obtained identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory.

12. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:
causing a reporting section that includes a first memory to obtain identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal and to store the identification information, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of a controlling section, which includes a second memory, and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory;
causing the reporting section, instead of the processing sections, to report the identification information to another information processing apparatus in response to a request for reporting the identification information, the request being issued from the another information processing apparatus; and
causing, of the processing sections, the processing section specified by the identification information reported to the another information processing apparatus to perform processing corresponding to the request issued from the another information processing apparatus.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute processing comprising:
causing a reporting section that includes a first memory to obtain identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal and to store the identification information, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of a controlling section, which includes a second memory, and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling se

Assignees

• Teruyama Katsuyuki
• Morita Tadashi
• Hamada Hiroaki
• Kita Masato
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Teruyama Katsuyuki
• Morita Tadashi
• Hamada Hiroaki
• Kita Masato

Classifications

• G06Q20/3278 Primary

  RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/3226 Primary

  Use of secure elements separate from M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/32

  using wireless devices · CPC title

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G06K7/10297 Primary

  arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00) · CPC title